Dallas County grassroots leader Troy Jackson shares what motivates him in the fight for liberty. He explains why he believes Dallas isn’t lost to the left forever, and how he thinks citizens can make a positive difference in their communities by following their passions and reaching one person at a time.
If you haven’t met Troy Jackson before, the one thing you’ll always walk away remembering about him is his bright beaming smile. You’d wonder why he’s so happy, considering he’s a conservative fighting an uphill battle in a county that’s been steadily transforming into a Democrat stronghold the past few election cycles. But don’t try telling him Dallas is lost to the left for good.
“I don’t believe that any one area, any one person, is lost,” Jackson said, his energy and enthusiasm vibrating in his voice. “The reason why I say that is Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost.”
“Our political values and our biblical values tie together. They’re all derived from the Scripture, from the Word of God.”
Originally from Long Island, New York, Troy’s political values didn’t just develop when he came to Texas, but are lifelong.
“Really, I was a conservative in New York,” he said.
Troy came to Texas from New York when he worked with the Internal Revenue Service.
“I was a corporate auditor for the IRS and was transferred here,” he recalled. “After coming here, I got burnt out on that position and just started feeling my way out and doing other things. Got into law enforcement, worked for a police department for a number of years. I currently still serve as a reserve police officer in the state of Texas.”
Now living in DeSoto, he’s been in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex since 2000, and currently works as a security consultant. While many activists juggle work, activism, and family while making time for hobbies, with Troy, it’s different. Activism is his hobby.
“All of my free time is pretty much dedicated to the cause of liberty. It’s dedicated to activism. Basically, giving people the information to educate them on the issues.
“If I get the information to one, and I challenge that one to get the information to another, now we have started a chain reaction of each one, teach one, and each one, reach one, educating the next one on the issues. Before you know it, you have changed a community. You’ve changed a society.”
Troy credits Marjorie Ford, the former president of the Southwest Dallas Republican Club—which he now leads—for helping activate him.
“That’s what I use my free time for, and that’s what I’m passionate about, and that’s what I find relaxing,” he said.
Jackson has evidence this works, as he helped organize citizens against the movement to defund the Dallas Police Department, forcing Mayor Eric Johnson and much of Dallas City Council to change their speeches on the topic.
It was seeing, firsthand, people’s lack of understanding that motivated him to get involved in the first place.
“You would have a conversation with [people], and they would tell you what they believe. And then when they tell you how they voted, I had to explain to them that they were voting against what they just told me that they believed,” he explained. “That became the big factor for me because I hate to see people, you have a stance, you have this belief, but you don’t even have the information to know that you’re fighting yourself.”
He sees a similar lack of understanding from Democrat election judges when he works as a Republican election judge. “They’re literally telling me, ‘Well, I haven’t had any training for this, so can you tell me what to do?’” he recalled. “That was perplexing to me. I had to go through training to be here, and you’re telling me that you never went through training, and you’re still here. I could not understand that philosophy.”
“That is just so irritating to me because I feel that contributes to [election] fraud,” he said.
While irritating, these are also the things that spur him to fight on as a poll watcher and election judge, serve in different local political clubs, and even help organize block walks and phone banking.
For his fellow Texans wondering how they can make a difference, Troy’s advice echoes other successful grassroots activists.
“Find an issue you are passionate about, and drive that issue to the best of your ability,” he said. “Learn so much about that issue, drive the issue in accordance to your passion, and use that issue to make a difference in your life and in the lives of others.”
“When you’re passionate about an issue, people can relate to it because of your passion,” he added.
Despite his smile and energy, Jackson wants you to know your journey won’t be a bed of roses. “As you’re doing it, there’s going to be moments of discouragement, but don’t quit, because if you continue to pursue that issue and you can continue to keep that thing in the forefront, you will win. We just can’t give up.”
“It’s like the Scripture said: You’ll become weary in well-doing, but in due season, you’ll reap if you faint not.”
